Of Cars & Planes
by Kinola
Summary: It all began when Ripslinger wound up in Radiator Springs by chance. Then shenanigans ensue when the racing museum gets robbed, one race car's feelings for another are revealed, and the possibility of a plane entering the Florida 500 is explored. And that's not covering half of this. [Adopted from The Other Jet Engine] [Multiple pairings, including slash, crack, & love triangles].
1. Prologue: A Scene Already in Progress

"It was SALLY CARRERA!" Ripslinger shouted as he circled like a vulture three hundred feet above the ground. " _She's_ the true thief!"

The sea of vehicles gathered in the town square of Radiator Springs gazed up at him. Many were shocked by the revelation, while others—notably the other citizens of the cutest little town in Carburetor County—were confused. _Their_ Sally had done this? The Sally that they had come to know and love over the years? The Sally that gave them hope that their town would be revitalized during its dismal days? How could that be?

"Oh, my stars!" exclaimed Tex Dinoco.

"How did that even happen?" Natalie Certain demanded.

"She had motive!" Ripslinger continued. "She had the opportunity! She had—"

"Get down from there, Ripstinker," Dusty Crophopper yelled, "before I come up there myself!" Before Ripslinger could fire a retort at his racing rival, Li'l Dipper exclaimed, "My love, he speaks!"

Not really knowing or caring what she meant, the Prince of Propellers maneuvered himself to land just in front of the Radiator Springs Courthouse. "Here is your proof, Radiator Springs," he declared, shifting a photograph to the edge of his wing. He gave it to the nearest car, who studied it for a moment before passing it on to the next vehicle. Over a matter of minutes, everyone present got to see the image: security footage of Sally Carrera stealing all the memorabilia from the Hudson Hornet Racing Museum. Ripslinger smiled grimly as he heard voices, clamoring over the picture and the revelation that had been born from it. If Finn McMissile never obtained the footage where the picture had come from, things would not have ended well.

The Green Tornado even got to see the reactions of the Radiator Springs townsfolk as each of them studied the picture before passing it on hastily, horror, confusion, and betrayal in their eyes. For them, it meant that the one that they viewed as their shining beacon, their voice of reason, a surrogate family member, had been nothing more than a manipulative criminal hell-bent on sending an innocent car to prison. Even if that car had acted like a jerk beforehand.

For Lightning McQueen, it meant that the love of his life had duped him into thinking that that jerk of a car had been romancing him for his own selfish purposes. That she had acted out of jealousy towards their developing relationship rather than out of concern for his safety.

Speaking of which, Sally was still there, looking terrified that the truth had been discovered. Determined to keep things the way they were, the attorney-turned-felon had lost her sense of morality and compassion for others and had crossed a line with her reprehensible actions. Any chance of redeeming herself was nigh impossible. When her eyes met the anguished gaze of her Stickers, she wanted to make one last-ditch effort to put herself back in his good graces.

"You're still my hero, Stickers," she said. "I still love you!"

"You betrayed me!" Lightning shouted at her. "How could you have sunk so low?" He could feel his love for her slowly dying.

"But I did it for you!" she pleaded. "Please, Stickers! I'm _so_ sorry." As she spoke, she could hear cries of "Traitor!" and "Monster!" rise up from the crowd. Many of the shouts were coming from her dear Radiator Springs family. Flo, Ramone, and Sheriff glared daggers at her. Guido and Luigi both cursed her in their native tongue. Even Mater was furious, and he was _never_ the type that got angry so easily.

As for the plane that had just destroyed Sally's reputation, he took back to the skies, flying high above the chaotic scene. Though he was thrilled with everything he'd managed to accomplish, he knew he had to keep a level head. Solving this mystery was one thing, but there was still more than needed to be done.

"We'll finish this in Florida, won't we, boss?" Ned asked as he came alongside him.

"Yeah, at the Florida 500?" added Zed, coming up on the other side of him.

"You bet," Ripslinger replied, "for I am still the greatest air racer in the world, and nothing can stop me!"

As for everyone else who had been summoned to this small town, they knew that this meant one thing: the disgraced WATG racer had solved one of the greatest mysteries of all time. The picture had now become a symbol of how everything wasn't always black and white. That even the kindest people held secret sinister motives. And that sometimes, your worst enemy could one day come out a hero.

With the mystery solved, only one thing became clear: _nothing_ would ever be the same again.

* * *

There are so many questions that can be asked here, but the most important one would be "How the H-E-double L did this happen?" Of course there's an answer to that question, but in order to find it, everyone will have to go back many months ago, when a certain P-51 Mustang crash-landed into the small town of Radiator Springs. _That's_ where it _all_ began...

* * *

 **So, I'm sure some of you thought this looked familiar. This was the "Leyenar Oh's Cars N' Planes" story written by The Other Jet Engine. She deleted it days ago, but after chatting via PM, she gave me permission to take it under my wing and give it new life. I am hoping to try and follow the original plot line of the fic, but I will add in more depth and detail to it. I will also change up a few things to make it a little more realistic. For example, in the original fic, only one picture got stolen from the Hudson Hornet Racing Museum. Here, the ENTIRE MUSEUM got robbed.**

 **She also gave me permission to use some of her OCs, but I hope to throw in a couple of OCs of my own.**

 **The prologue is based on the preview that was on her profile page; I fleshed it out more since I felt that was where the story was heading.**


	2. The Encounter That Changed Everything

When Ripslinger had crashed-landed in the two of Radiator Springs, his life hadn't been going so great. Ever since the Wings Around the Globe rally, in which he'd been beaten by that farm boy Dusty Crophopper, Ripslinger's reputation as the world's greatest air racer had suffered drastically. When his actions during the WATG had been discovered by the officials—no thanks to Ned and Zed—they had made the unanimous decision to bar him from any and all future races. Shortly after that, Team RPX dropped him as their captain; having a near-murderer fly races for them would likely worsen their image.

So with no one to turn to, since Ned and Zed were forbidden from following him, Ripslinger had no choice but to go off the grid.

He spent many months traveling from one place to another, never staying in one place for too long, working odd jobs so he could get fuel for himself. At one point, he heard that the farm boy had taken a side job as a firefighter. The news got him thinking about something he hadn't thought about in years.

You see, Ripslinger didn't always want to be a champion air racer. When he was an itty witty teeny tiny little baby chicklet, Ripslinger dreamed about becoming a secret agent. He would spend many hours pretending to solve cases, fight bad guys, or woo lady planes. Since his parents felt that his dream was unrealistic (as they had no idea where he could possibly get a job as a secret agent), they persuaded him to go and become an air racer, since he had been the fastest plane around growing up.

Now that his racing career was pretty much over, Ripslinger thought about whether that childhood dream was a possibility. If he wasn't working, he would think about. When sleep evaded him, he would think about. When he was flying through the air to the next town and job opportunity, he would think about it. Normally, Ripslinger would have scoffed at childhood memories, but the more he thought about this childhood dream of his, he couldn't help but wonder about what could have been, and whether this dream was a possibility.

He even thought about it whenever he had to get ready to fly to the next job opportunity. The thought had distracted him so much that he forgot to fuel up at the last airport before taking off late one evening. It was in the early hours of the morning, when the sky was beginning to take on a pinkish hue in the east, that Ripslinger realized his mistake. He was flying over desert, and there was no airport in sight. Attempts to contact one proved fruitless.

Panicking, the Green Tornado tried to consider his options. He couldn't land on the desert ground because the sand would get inside his landing gear and cause him all sorts of problems. If he tried to keep flying, he'd run out of fuel and crash. Continuing to try and contact any possible airport within the area would be a hopeless effort, since no one was responding. _Or rather, they didn't_ want _to,_ he thought bitterly.

Then Ripslinger looked away from his fuel gauge to see what lay ahead of him. Lo and behold, he saw the lights of a small town, getting closer by the second. Below him, an empty road wounds its way towards it. The sight of the town gave Ripslinger hope; it meant that there would be vehicles that could help him. But in order to get to the town, he would have to land on the road.

He frowned. His size wouldn't prevent him from landing on the road, but he knew that planes of any kind could get into trouble for using a road as a runway, and the last thing he wanted right now was to get in trouble. But if Ripslinger didn't take the risk, he'd crash anyway. A gruesome end for the former air racing champion!

So, taking a deep breath, Ripslinger opened his landing gear and proceeded to make his descent. But he was going too fast, and the road felt slicker under him than the usual runaway, so it took him a while for him to actually stop. He was able to stop just before the statue of a Model T. A very impressive set of skid marks had been left in his wake. Still shaky from his crazy emergency landing, Ripslinger passed out.

* * *

 ** _Dream Mode Activated!_**

 _Ripslinger stood triumphantly before the captured Michael Combust, the arms dealer who had plotted to sell his weaponry to a militant organization in a war-torn country, which would have cause more vehicles to suffer through yet another violent conflict. Several secret agents had already shown up to take him into custody._

 _"You saved the day, Agent Ripslinger," said one agent._

 _"Countless lives will never have to suffer through thanks to you," added another agent, a plane, before giving Ripslinger a wing-bump._

 _"You're_ amazing _!" a third agent yelled._

 _Ripslinger smiled. "It was my pleasure, fellas," he said. "All in a day's work."_

 ** _Dream Mode Deactivated!_**

* * *

"Hey, look! He's wakin' up!"

"Wha..." Ripslinger opened his eyes to find himself in the same place where he'd stopped hours ago. Nope, not a secret agent. Just a disgraced ex-racer who had just landed himself in an unfamiliar place. It was now daytime, and Ripslinger found himself face-to-face with a rusted tow truck with buck teeth. The tow truck smiled and said, "Howdy there!"

"Uh...hi?" Rip said uncertainly. "Where the heck am I? And who the heck are you?"

"Mah name's Mater," the tow truck replied. "Like _tuh-mater_ —" Tomato? "—but without da 'tuh.' And you're in Radiator Springs, the cutest li'l town in Carburetor County."

 _Radiator Springs._ Something sounded familiar about that name. "Is this the home of that champion Piston Cup racer? What's his name...Lighting McQuinn?"

"You mean Lightning McQueen? Shoot! Of course it is! He's also mah best bud!"

This made Ripslinger perk up. What a lucky day for him! Two legends, one of earth, the other of heaven, in the same place! Maybe McQueen could help him out. "Is there any way I can meet him?"

"Well, he's off practicin' for 'nother race an' didn't wanna be disturbed none," Mater explained. "But I could give ya a tour of da town while ya wait."

Ripslinger considered this for a moment, then agreed. Mater then proceeded to show him around the town. It was a small, quaint place with a lovely golden glow around it. There was a motel, a tire store, an auto paint shop/medical clinic, courthouse, a second racing museum, a couple more shops, and a café, where they stopped last. All the other townsfolk were gathered there as Ripslinger and Mater arrived. One by one, each of them introduced himself. The fire truck, Red, was introduced by a mint green 1950s show car named Flo, since he was very shy and didn't talk much. Then she got him some fuel.

"Mater found you on the edge of town this morning," Flo told him. "How did you get there?"

"The Ornament Valley Airport isn't that far from here," added Sarge, a Willys Jeep.

"I was running out of fuel, and I couldn't get to an airport in time," Ripslinger admitted, embarrassed. "I was kinda looking for a place to cra— _stay_." He didn't want to have to use _crash_ in a sentence after almost crashing.

"You could talk to Sally about that," Flo stated. "She'd be willing to help you out."

"Yeah, but she's with Lightnin' right now, watchin' him race," said Mater, who stood beside Ripslinger. "Them two's been doin' a lot o' things together lately." Everyone exchanged knowing smiles as Mater said that. When Ripslinger looked confused, Flo clarified for him: "We're pretty sure McQueen's gonna pop the question soon."

Just as Ripslinger was settling down, he heard the revving of an engine and turned to see a red race car with the **#95** roll into the café along with a pale blue Porsche 911 Carrera. "Hey, everybody," said the race car. "What's up?"

"Hello, Lightning," the others chorused. Then Mater said, "Hey Lightnin', this plane here that landed in our town says he wants ta meet ya." He gestured to Ripslinger with his front tires.

"Hey," Ripslinger said simply.

Lightning McQueen studied at the P-51D for a moment, then brightened with surprise. "Oh, hey! I know you are!" he exclaimed.

Ripslinger was surprised, too. Someone recognized him after all this time? "You do? Really?"

"Yeah," Lightning answered, grinning. "You're that Dusty Cropslinger guy from the plane races!"

"WHAT?!" Ripslinger yelled. A few snickers were heard, but he didn't notice. "How dare you mistake me for that farm boy?" The green and black plane raised up his nose and recited from memory, "Legends aren't born, and they're _built_. For _speed_. I am the Green Tornado, the Prince of Propellers. I am RIPSLINGAH!" He smirked at McQueen, who stared at him in confusion.

"Oh. Okay. Never heard of you. Sorry!" And he drove off before Ripslinger could make a retort. Mater followed after him, but not before giving the P-51D a reassuring smile.

The pale blue Porsche that arrived with Lightning drove up towards Ripslinger. "Sorry about him," she assured him in a gentle voice. "He's usually a nice guy, but he's not into air racing that much, so don't worry about what he has to say. I've seen you on T.V. a few times before, Ripslinger. Just give him a little time. He'll come around."

Ripslinger gave her a surprised sideways glance. It felt nice to not only have someone recognize him after so long, but to have that someone treat him with kindness, even after what he'd done. Even after getting brushed off seconds ago. "Thanks for the advice, Miss…" Ripslinger hesitated.

"Sally. Sally Carrera. I'm the local attorney, and I run the Cozy Cone Motel, too. And I'm Stickers'—uh, _Lightning's_ girlfriend." She smiled sheepishly. Apparently, "Stickers" was her pet name for McQueen. "Would you like me to give you a room?"

"I don't really have much money," Ripslinger answered, feeling a bit embarrassed about his current financial situation.

"That's all right," Sally assured him with a smile. "It'll be complementary. We've been doing well for a _long_ time, now. I don't think _anyone_ would mind. Come on, this way."

The Prince of Propellers followed the Porsche towards the giant traffic cones just on the edge of town. He should have been comfortable in Sally's presence. She was kind to him and was willing to give him a room free of charge. But as Ripslinger watched her head inside her office to give him his room key, something began to niggle at the back of his mind. Something that told him that there was something off about Sally. As though her caring demeanor was just an act, and she was hiding something. He tried to repress the feeling, with no success.

Sally came out and had him follow her to one of the empty cones. "Here you go," she said. "This will be your temporary home away from home."

"More like a temporary home," Ripslinger clarified. "I had to leave my place months ago, when I…"

"Fell from grace?" Sally suggested with a small frown.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Sally nodded. "Well, I don't think you'll have to worry about being homeless anymore," she said as she gave him a kind smile. "Radiator Springs can be your home, if you want. Everyone around here will welcome you with open tires." Then a phone inside the office started ringing. "Oh, I better go get that. I'll bet it's my sister. She's been _so_ busy lately, so she doesn't call me as much as I'd like. Talk to you soon, Mr. Ripslinger!" And she drove back into her office.

* * *

Weeks went by. Ripslinger chose to stay in Radiator Springs, and he found himself adjusting quite well to the small town. He became well-acquainted with everyone save for Lizzie, since he was grossed out by her lasciviousness towards him, and Sheriff, since he must've learned about Rip's actions in the past, because he always watched the P-51D Mustang with suspicion, as though expecting him to try and off somebody. Like Ripslinger was ever going to try something like _that_ again.

Despite their first meeting, Ripslinger found himself becoming closest to Lightning McQueen. The #95 race car had become something like a kindred spirit for Ripslinger, and he felt comfortable enough to open up to him about his actions during the WATG, and how they forced him to leave everything behind and land here. Lightning, in turn, told him about how he had originally come to Radiator Springs. How he had wrecked the main road and had been forced to fix it by the townsfolk, and how he had come to love the town and help it out of its years-long slump.

Within the first two weeks since Ripslinger's arrival, Lightning allowed Ripslinger to accompany him and his team to his races. The plane even got to meet and befriend Bobby Swift and Cal Weathers, Lightning's racing buddies.

Ripslinger found that the racing world of the cars was laid-back in contrast to the racing world of the planes. Lightning won most of his races, but enjoyed being on the track more than winning. He loved the challenge not just pushing himself to the limit, but also bantering with his friends and urging them to go to their limits, too. It made Ripslinger wonder if he was ever like that before he got full of himself and resorted to devious methods to win his races.

Lightning and the other race cars would also play practical jokes on each other, usually after their races and on whoever had won. On more than one occasion, Ripslinger was roped into helping out with these pranks. One time, Ripslinger tossed glitter on Lightning after he'd been sprayed with foam by Bobby and Cal. Another time, he helped Guido, the Italian forklift, switch out Cal Weathers' tires for a set of inflatable tubes meant to look like car tires.

On this particular day, Ripslinger was watching Lightning compete with Bobby and Cal at the Dinoco 400. It was a nice, warm day, with thousands of spectators in the stands, watching and cheering with excitement as the last lap was finally reached. It was a picture perfect calm before the storm.

"Another great finish in the making!" Bob Cutlass declared over the loudspeakers. "McQueen and Swift are nose-to-nose for the lead, with Weathers close behind."

Lightning's pit crew didn't have a crew chief since Doc Hudson, the original crew chief, passed away years ago, so Ripslinger was allowed to use the headset as long as he didn't bother Lightning while he raced. He listened to him as he made playful jests towards Bobby and Cal. "All right, show me whatcha got!" he crowed then.

"The flag is out, and it looks like McQueen is in for the win! I'll bet my bottom dollar on it!"

 _Of course Lightning's gonna win,_ Ripslinger thought to himself. _He's been winning almost every race I've watched._

The green and black P-51D had only been focusing on Lightning, Bobby, and Cal throughout the race. Up until that point, none of the other racers mattered. Yet just as the cars were making their way into the home stretch, Ripslinger noticed a younger, modern, sleeker car weave his way through the pack, coming up fast on the trio. He was mostly black with dark blue designs on his sides made to resemble lightning bolts. His number looked like it was **20** , but the scoreboard presented it as **2.0**. Ripslinger didn't recall seeing a car like this one before. Was he a rookie?

The racer effortlessly zipped past Lightning, Cal, and Bobby and over the finish line, claiming victory in the race. The crowd started to scream and cheer; they clearly weren't expecting this outcome. Ripslinger and the rest of Lightning's pit crew were shocked as well.

Bob Cutlass then announced, "Uh-oh! It's Jackson Storm for the win! A huge upset if I ever saw one."

"Neither Lightnin' nor Bobby saw 'im comin'!" Darrell Cartrip chimed in, amazement in his voice.

* * *

Lightning was flabbergasted by the last-second twist in the Dinoco 400. He, Bobby, and Cal slowed down as they made their way back towards the pits once they'd crossed the finish line. Everyone in his pit clamored over Lightning as they checked him over and got him some refreshment. Ripslinger stood back silently, letting the team do their work.

"I've never seen anythin' like that, McQueen," Lightning heard Mater say. "You doin' okay, bud?"

"Yeah, sure," Lightning mumbled. "I'm gonna go see the winner with Cal and Bobby." Lightning left his pit and quickly caught up with Cal and Bobby. Together, the trio made their way towards the winner's circle. On the Jumbo Tron, the black race car rolled up to claim his trophy. Confetti rained down upon him.

"Wowzers, what a finish, ladies and gentle-cars," a reporter announced over the P.A. "Everyone here is stunned by today's outcome. I can't remember the last time a racer came out of nowhere to win a race. But I can tell you all that I haven't seen anyone cross the finish line with such power and speed since a young Lightning McQueen arrived on the scene."

Lightning was barely listening as he watched the sleek car grin at the audience. He didn't know why, but there was something about him that made his oil bubble with something that felt... _strange_.

"Hey, Bobby," he asked, feeling dazed, "who is that?"

"Oh, that's Jackson Storm," Bobby answered. "He races for IGNTR."

"Yeah, he's one of the rookies," added Cal.

As Lightning continued to watch Jackson, the bubbling sensation continued. Briefly, he realized that this sensation was like the ones he'd get whenever he was with Sally. Except Sally didn't smile like _he_ did, and Sally didn't sneak up on him like _he_ did, and Sally didn't beat him in a race like _he_ did…

For a moment, nothing else seemed to matter. He didn't think about his team, Ripslinger, or even Sally. He couldn't hear the reporters' shouts or his racing buddies' questions as he drove slowly towards Jackson Storm, who was coming off the stage via ramp and thanking the reporters who'd come out for that day's race. The red race car smiled politely at Jackson as the two racers stopped side by side.

"Hey. Jackson Storm, right?" Lightning asked. He felt something flip inside of him as Jackson turned his gray eyes to him. "Great race today."

Jackson regarded him with a chilling glare before changing his expression into a pleasant one. "Wow, thank you, Mr. McQueen," he said amicably. "You have no idea what a pleasure it is for me to _finally_ beat you."

"Oh, thanks," Lightning replied with a smile. Then, he stopped. He thought he heard that sentence wrong. He let out a nervous laugh and said, "Hang on. Did you say _meet_ or _beat_?"

Jackson was back to glaring at him. "I think you heard me," he sneered, leaning close enough for Lightning to feel his breath against his front. Lightning was shocked, but he couldn't think about what shocked him more; Jackson's answer or Jackson's breath on him.

"Mr. Storm! Mr. McQueen!" a photographer shouted just then. "Can we get some pictures over here?"

Jackson suddenly went back to using pleasantry as he cried out, "Yeah, sure. Come on, everybody. Get some pics over here." He thumped his front tire against Lightning's side as the cameras began flashing. "In fact, take a ton of pictures. Cause this champ here has been a role model of mine for years now. And I mean a _lot_ of years. Am I right?" He gave Lightning a Cheshire Cat-like grin as Lightning scowled back, the bubbling feeling gone. "I love this guy!"

Then they heard an unlikely retort: "Well if you love him so much, why don't you marry him?"

Several reporters "oohed" in surprise as they turned to the one that had just made the comment. Lightning was stunned to see that it had been none other than Ripslinger.

Suddenly, he remembered that he had Sally. Sally was his true love. Sally was the car he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. He didn't feel anything for Jackson! Ripslinger must have viewed the scene wrong and let that comment fly. Unfortunately for him, it didn't look like Ripslinger had tried to get a rise out of Jackson Storm.

Jackson didn't realize that, though. He spun around to lock eyes with the Prince of Propellers. "What are you insinuating, my fellow flying machine?" he snapped. "That I actually have _feelings_ for this guy?"

"You just said you loved him," Ripslinger declared. Several reporters—most of them ladies—tittered at the response.

Jackson recoiled in disgust. "Ugh! That's sick, man!" he exclaimed. "I'd never get it on with another racer, let alone another guy! Besides, he's _years_ older than me!" The crowd was watching the scene with eagerness.

Lightning scowled. He didn't know who to be angrier at, Jackson or Ripslinger. But when it looked like Rip wanted to snap back at Jackson, Lightning forced himself to put a stop to it. "Rip, that's enough!" he shouted at the green and black plane. "He didn't mean what he said."

"I think he did," Ripslinger retorted. "You shouldn't go breaking his heart." Okay, Lighting's beef was with Ripslinger now.

"Sorry, everybody," Jackson suddenly announced. "I don't have time to listen to this plane's warped views on romance. I'm out." He drove away from Lightning, heading towards his own pit crew. As he came up beside his crew chief, he turned back briefly to declare, "I think I touched a nerve."

"You sure did," Ripslinger heard his crew chief say. "Now let's go find Gale and get outta here." Then the IGNTR team left, leaving a speechless red race car and an indignant P-51D Mustang behind.

* * *

 **This will more-or-less be a _Cars 3_ retelling, with some changes to particular scene. The original author had written a Cars 3 retelling months ago with Jackson/Lightning as the main pairing (it got taken down, though). Original author also said she wanted Ripslinger to compete in the Florida 500, and I think I've got an idea as to how that will happen. Won't say yet! It'll be a surprise.**

 **This was quite tough for me to write, especially when I also had to work on an essay that would be 20+ pages long. I also had to research some aspects of motor speedways, but I don't feel like I've got it right.**

 **Next chapter will feature Cruz Ramirez at Piston Peak.**

 **Also, a "chicklet" is what I'm gonna call a young plane.**


	3. Out in the Emptiness, Where It's Pale

Hundreds of miles away, at a place called Piston Peak National Park, a yellow sports coupe name Cruz Ramirez had just arrived for a well-deserved vacation. She had big brown eyes and a positive demeanor. She was also young, optimistic, friendly, and fierce. She worked for the racing business as a trainer, and because of how she used motivation to get her students to push themselves to their fullest potential, she'd earned herself the nickname of "Maestro of Motivation." She'd also become regarded as one of the best trainers around.

However, Cruz secretly held onto her childhood dream of becoming a racer, just like her idol Lightning McQueen. She would try to forget about it from time to time, even insist that she'd moved on from it, but it still hung over her head like a fluffy cloud.

When she enters our story, Cruz had just learned about the encounter her idol had had with rookie sensation Jackson Storm. Although she was on Jackson's side of the age gap, she was on McQueen's side of this developing conflict. He was one of the greatest racers of all time, and Jackson had no right to put him down like that. But Cruz had been genuinely surprised by the statements made by that brash yet handsome racing plane in regards to Storm and McQueen's "relationship." Where had _that_ come from, anyway?

Once she'd arrived at Piston Peak, Cruz had decided to focus more on her vacation than on the racing world. Her boss had promised he would pay all expenses, so she could just relax and recharge herself before she had to start training the new slew of Next Gen racers. In due time, she'd have her work cut out for her.

She clearly had no idea of the events that were to come. Of meeting her idol and that same brash plane. Of how her dreams would come true, of how she would become enchanted by that same plane, or even how a mystery would bring about a twist that would not only change her life, but her world. _Forever_.

* * *

As soon as she got herself checked in and situated in her room at the Grand Fusel-Lodge, Cruz decided to go out and explore. The park had many things to offer: the beautiful scenery, the wildlife, and their courageous fire and rescue team. Oh, and one more thing that'd been added in recently: a karaoke lounge! Along with racing, Cruz loved to sing.

Upon arriving at the lounge, Cruz discovered that it was jam-packed will all sorts of vehicles looking to show off their singing talents. Cruz immediately sought out the sign-up sheet and put her name on the list before it became too long.

Onstage, a beautiful electric blue AeroCanard with cyan wings and elaborate patterns on her body at the karaoke machine. She was singing a powerful rendition of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," and the audience was enthralled by it. Even Cruz was impressed by the plane's singing. When her song had ended, Cruz and the other patrons were calling out for an encore. The AeroCanard smiled, winked, and left the stage. The next singer, a pick-up truck, was called up to take her place. Unfortunately, he wasn't as good a singer as the AeroCanard, to the annoyance of many.

Since it would be a while before her turn came, Cruz decided to go look for the plane and talk to her. She found her sitting at a table in the corner of the lounge, idly sipping at a quart of oil. "Hey, there!" Cruz said cheerfully. "I liked your singing."

The AeroCanard smiled at her. "Thank you," she said. "My name is Radha, and I came here from India. Who are you?"

"Cruz, Cruz Ramirez. I'm a trainer for race cars, but I'm here on a paid vacation." Cruz parked herself at Radha's table. "Wow, you're from India? Did you come here to vacation, too?"

"Well…yes and no. Yes because I needed some time off from my work, and no because my sister insisted that I come here with her. I'll admit that this place is very beautiful, but the real reason my sister wanted me here was so that I could meet her 'boyfriend.'" Radha had sounded annoyed when she said _boyfriend_.

"Oh, okay. That sounds cool!" After a moment of silence, Cruz asked, "Who's your sister dating, anyway?"

"Dusty Crophopper," Radha answered rather brusquely.

Cruz's eyes widened. "Wait, Dusty Crophopper? The air racing champion? Then that means your sister—"

"Is Ishani, yes," Radha said, unamused. "She was on and off with him at first, but then they became an official couple after he became a firefighter." She didn't sound too happy to talk about her sister or her sister's love life.

Cruz, on the other hand, was excited by the revelation. She had been secretly following all about Dusty Crophopper's exploits ever since his win during the WATG. She was amazed and envious of him, since he managed to do things many said he wasn't able to do, and he practically represented the kind of life she could've had, had she continued to pursue her childhood dream. It should be a great honor to be the sister of his girlfriend. So why was she not so enthusiastic about it?

As if sensing what Cruz was thinking, Radha gave her an apologetic smile. "Sorry if I'm not over the moon with how my sister's been doing," she said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. "It's just...we've never been close. When we were young, we were very competitive. One of us would always try to outdo the other. I thought that, when we finally grew up, we would be able to bury the hatchet and just _be_ _there_ for each other. I've tried to focus on my own life and my own successes, and I've tried to be happy for whatever she does. Unfortunately, Ishani isn't like me. She always seems to find ways to rub _her_ accomplishments in my face. Since I don't have anyone special in my life, she's decided to have me come here and see how _lucky_ she's become."

Radha paused to relax herself and sip a little more of her oil. "To be perfectly honest, Cruz, I don't think my sister really loves Crophopper at all. I think the _real_ reason she's dating him is because she wanted to drive off some rumors she'd heard about him."

 _Rumors? What rumors?_ Cruz thought, confused. Before she could inquire about them, a forklift named André called her name. Oh, well. It was time for her to go up and sing.

When she'd signed up, she was required to pick a song or two. It'd taken a while for Cruz to pick a song, since she liked so many. She could thank her custodian aunt for introducing her to so many artists and labels. She'd finally decided to do not one, but _two_ songs.

The first one she chose was a recent song called "The Fools Who Dream," from the film _La-La Landing Strip_. It opened up with a spoken verse before it went right into the song. To Cruz, it felt like a gentle yet inspiring song. It even made her reminisce about when she had to give up her childhood dream of becoming a racer.

The next one was called "Lost Stars," a song she'd heard multiple times on her radio but only managed to download a couple weeks ago. Though she enjoyed the song's original lyrics, Cruz found herself tweaking them a little bit so it'd suit her more.

Once she was done with her second song, Cruz got off the stage and returned to Radha's table. The plane and the car decided to while away their time talking as others went up to sing.

Just then, Cruz heard a voice behind her. "Excuse me, can I join you two?" Cruz turned around to see a green-eyed pitty gazing at her. The exquisite orange saree she wore matched up with her paint job. Radha apparently knew this pitty, and was surprised to see her. "Riya? Why are you down here?"

"Oh, well, no reason," Riya the pitty replied, rather nervously. "I just wanted to stay in a hotel room tonight. That's all."

"She's not causing trouble over there, is she?" Radha inquired suspiciously.

"No, no! She's fine, and she's with Dusty."

Radha didn't look convinced. Cruz decided to break the growing tension by saying to Riya, "Sure, you can hang out with us."

Riya nodded and joined them. Cruz was becoming quite curious about the newcomer, but she remembered that she wanted to talk to Radha more about the rumors she'd mentioned earlier. However, shortly after the pitty joined their table, Radha received a text from her employer. It sounded pretty urgent, because the minute Radha looked at it, she immediately excused herself so she could answer it in a quieter place. This left Cruz alone with Riya.

After a long moment of silence, it was Riya who decided to start up a conversation with Cruz.

"You have a wonderful singing voice, miss," the pitty said, her voice soft. "Is your name Cruz?"

"Yeah," Cruz replied, smiling. "Cruz Ramirez. I'm a racing trainer, here on an all-expenses-paid vacation. Riya's your name, right?"

"Yes," the pitty said. "I'm Ishani's pitty. I take it you've met her sister?" Cruz nodded. "Good..."

Cruz and Riya sat in silence for a while, then Cruz remembered the rumors Radha mentioned. Did Riya know Dusty that well? Would she even have any idea what she was talking about? Cruz decided to take a risk and ask her. "So, about Ishani," she began.

Riya glanced over at her. "Were you and Radha talking about her?" she asked suspiciously.

"Wha…oh, no!" Cruz was surprised by her question. "I mean, _she_ was talking about how she didn't like her, but _I_ didn't say anything. I kinda respect Ishani's skills as a racing plane. I mean, she's one of the best out there."

Riya's expression didn't change. "What about as someone's lover?"

"What do you mean?" Cruz asked, curious.

"I mean…can you promise to not say anything?" Riya beckoned for Cruz to move in closer. "I'm supposed to be there for Ishani whenever she needs it, but lately, I'm starting to wonder if she's hiding something."

"Radha mentioned hearing something about Dusty," Cruz said cautiously. "I think it was something about him and Ishani dating. Would you…happen to know anything?"

There was a pause, then Riya sighed. "Yes. You're going to have to get comfortable, Miss Cruz. This is a long story…"

* * *

 ** _Flashback Activated!_**

 _For Riya, it had been a great honor to become Ishani's personal pitty. Riya had been a fan of hers long before she started working for her, and was especially thrilled by Ishani's singing, as she herself was an aspiring singer, too. Yet she couldn't seem to bring herself to outright ask Ishani to let her participate in one of her music videos as a backup singer. From time to time, Riya would drop hints about taking part, but it never got through to Ishani. All Riya could do was hope that the yellow AeroCanard would figure it out._

 _From the first day, Riya knew that working for a famous air racer wasn't going to be easy. She had to attend every race Ishani entered, keep track of her repairs, finances, and training regiment, and ensure her overall well-being by becoming her confidante, letting her lean on her when she felt overwhelmed by certain things, whether it be her racing career, her sister and their sibling rivalry, or even her rather tumultuous love life._

 _It was especially grueling during the Wings Around the Globe rally, when she had to follow Ishani to every checkpoint, keep track of her crew and their supplies, and so much more. Although Ishani didn't win the WATG, she didn't find it a total loss; that was where she met and became enamored with the crop-duster that ended up winning the race in spite of the odds against him._

 _At the beginning, Ishani and Dusty had struggled with their relationship; their racing careers made them too busy to spend much time together, and the fact that they lived too far apart, with different cultures, made things more complicated than they should be. Riya almost wanted to tell Ishani that it would be better to part ways with him, but she could see how much she loved him and how much they wanted it to work. Riya did her best to help them out, but it was difficult. Her only successes were getting Ishani scheduled into a few American races Dusty took part in, and even gave Dusty Ishani's contact information, so he could communicate with her whenever he got the chance._

 _But there would be times where Ishani didn't hear from Dusty for weeks at a time, and it had upset her greatly. Long-distance relationships were usually complicated, but Ishani had become determined to work things out with the crop duster-turned-racer. Riya did what she could to reassure the plane, but it didn't make much of a difference. She even tried to convince Ishani to meet a few gentle-planes in their area, but she wouldn't hear of it. Her heart would only accept Dusty now. No one else._

 _Then came the time where Dusty had gone off to become a firefighting plane. It had surprised both Riya and Ishani, since they never expected him to do something like this. Although they later learned that Propwash Junction was in desperate need of a second firefighter, and he'd been the only one that'd volunteered to get himself certified, it hadn't been enough to convince Ishani that Dusty was still thinking of her. She became suspicious of him and his actions, and it affected her racing and her non-romantic relations. To be around Ishani when she was moody was...unnerving, to say the least._

 _Shortly after becoming certified, Dusty decided to make more of an effort to visit and communicate with Ishani, and it seemed to work for a long while. Ishani eventually cooled down and forgave Dusty for ignoring her, and Dusty in turn resolved himself to see her as often as his busy schedule would allow. Riya was both relieved and excited about the progress they were making in their relationship. For a long while, everything was fine._

 _Unfortunately, things just couldn't stay like that._

 _Riya was no stranger to hearing rumors about certain celebrities. In fact, starting some time before the WATG took place, various vehicles began coming forward to claim that Ishani had a dark side, that she would seduce young men into becoming her sex slaves. And she was experienced at it. Yet in spite of their persistence, no proof had been found, no one had come forward to deny or confirm anything._

 _Ishani had been deeply upset by the rumors, to the point where it had affected her racing career. Riya had done what she could for Ishani, such as bribing several tabloid magazines from publishing anything that would bring negative attention to her. It had worked, in some way. Not a lot of vehicles had been happy about what she'd done, but at least Ishani's racing was able to improve in time for her to enter the WATG._

 _But the rumor she'd started hearing about only a few months ago wasn't about Ishani, it was about Dusty, and Riya couldn't do anything to stop others from talking about him. That was his team's job, and so far, they had done nothing in regards to this particular rumor. This could mean that they either weren't aware of the rumors, knew but didn't care, or knew and supported them as truth._

 _Ever since Dusty had become a firefighter, many had been debating and discussing theories about why else he could've gone, what happened during his training, and the relations he'd developed with Piston Peak's fire and rescue crew, most notably with their chief, Blade Ranger. As a matter of fact, the rumor that Riya had heard about Dusty was that his relation with Blade could almost be considered_ romantic _._

 _Initially,_ _Riya had refused to believe it. It was uncommon to hear rumors about a famous plane's love life, but this was ridiculous. Chief Blade Ranger was the one that taught Dusty, and it was typically taboo for a student to have romantic feelings for their teacher._

 _It was wrong. No, this silly little rumor was wrong; Riya was quite certain of it. They didn't know anything about Dusty's personal life. They didn't even seem to care that he was dating someone else! This rumor would drift away into obscurity eventually; it just needed time. So she strongly held on to her belief that this was just another ridiculous rumor that came out of nowhere and didn't have any proof._

 _Until a few days ago, when she arrived at the park with Ishani._

 _It would've been nice if Dusty had come down to the Lodge to see Ishani, but he had insisted that she come and see the base where he stayed. He had introduced both her and Riya to everyone on the base, with Blade Ranger being the last one. From the way Dusty glanced over at him, to how Blade seemed to perk up at the sight of the former crop duster, to how the two stood close enough to almost be touching, Riya instantly knew that whatever had gone on between them, it had been enough to prove to her that the rumor was true, though it looked as though they had yet to admit their feelings to each other. The two could've been a serious couple at this point if it weren't for Ishani. She was the only thing in their way._

 _Ishani knew it, too, because she took an intense dislike to the helicopter the second she met him. Blade likewise returned the animosity. The yellow AeroCanard saw Blade as competition for Dusty's heart, and the red, white, and black AgustaWestland felt that Ishani didn't deserve Dusty's love._

 _Only Riya could keep Ishani from going at Blade right then and there. Up until this point, Riya had never seen the yellow AeroCanard look so angry. She'd dealt with a lot of vehicles who gave Ishani hell, whether it was from sexist journalists, saboteurs, or a jealous sister. A romantic rival had never been among them, though._

 _Things were starting to get to be too much for poor Riya. She did not know how she could reassure the seething Ishani._ _Would Ishani try something against Blade? Would she try to rope her trusted pitty into helping her out? Would someone else get hurt?_ _She felt powerless in this situation, and very worried about the possibilities._

 _It was not until a few hours ago that Riya had decided to sneak away from her plane, to get some alone time for herself and perhaps think out a plan to ensure that Ishani wouldn't get herself into trouble. Yes, Dusty was up at the base with her, but she could only hope he would be able to keep her from losing it. Otherwise, Riya may have to do something drastic to the plane she greatly admired and cared for._

 ** _Flashback Deactivated!_**

* * *

"So _that's_ what really happened?" Cruz asked, amazed. Riya nodded. "Whoa…"

Riya sighed as she wrung her forks nervously. "I apologize if I told you too much," she said, "but I didn't know anyone I could confide in."

"What about Radha? She's Ishani's sister," Cruz pointed out.

"Yes, but any time I tell her something about Ishani, she'd go confront her and they'll end up fighting, and I hate when that happens. I hate fighting, and they fight too much. But apart from her, I don't really have anyone else to turn to. I don't have many friends or family, and I don't really know much about this place or the people that work here." Riya sounded forlorn.

"Hmm…" Cruz thought for a moment. Then she said, "Well, you just met me, and you just told me everything. Right?" Riya nodded hesitantly. Cruz continued. "So maybe that means you consider me a friend. And friends help each other out if they're in a jam. You know what I'm saying?"

"Uh…yes," Riya said, looking surprised.

"Maybe we can help each other out," Cruz said with a smile. "I could come with you when you have to go back in the morning, so whatever will happen, you won't have to deal with it on your own."

Riya thought about this for a moment. "Are you sure you wish to do this?" she asked her.

"Absolutely!" Cruz continued to grin. "What's the worst that could happen?" Riya looked like she was about to say something, but at that moment, Radha decided to grace the two with her return, and the conversation immediately switched to something else.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Piston Peak Air Attack base, Li'l Dipper was a very unhappy plane. She had hoped that she would be able to get a chance to win Dusty's love, but two very recent events had complicated matters for her. The first event had been Dusty's "girlfriend" coming to visit him at the base, and he was spending most of his down time with her. The other event actually happened a few weeks before Dusty returned to the park, where Blade spilled the beans about his own crush on Dusty during a game of drunken hangman.

Although he had later admitted to the team that they were never meant to hear that, and he had had no plans to explore his feelings whatsoever, Ishani's arrival ended up screwing this up. Dipper now had to go up against two contenders for Dusty's heart. It could've been easy for her to deal with Ishani, but there was no possible way for her to handle Blade. He was her superior, after all. Even if his beef was really with Ishani, she couldn't think of a way to get around him.

Nonetheless, Dipper tried to keep the peace by being happy, at least for Dustmuffin's sake. She would stay out of the feud between Blade and Ishani, but she still needed to find a way to win his heart. But how could she do that?

The only one she could turn to in this time was her big sister, Sarah "Big Dipper" Levine, who had come down to visit her sister as well as a few other friends that worked down at the Grand Fusel-Lodge. Unlike Ishani and her sister Radha, Dipper and Sarah got along very well. Sarah was even one of the few that got to called Dipper by her real name. At the current moment, the two were in Dipper's hangar, talking.

"It'll be okay, Lea," Sarah told Dipper. "I'll help you find a way to win Dusty's heart." She was a Grumman G-21 Goose, the same as Dipper, only she was blue in color.

"Thanks, Sarah," Dipper said, smiling sadly. "But how can I do that? Ishani is one thing, but I can't go against Blade."

"There's gotta be a way." Sarah thought for a minute. "Maybe you can serenade him?"

Dipper shook her head. "You know I can't sing well."

"Oh, right. What about making him something? You could make some food for him, or maybe do something with arts and crafts."

"Last time I made something, I nearly burned the base to the ground." Dipper grimaced at the memory. "Blade wasn't happy that time…"

"Hmm…this is kinda tricky, isn't it?" Sarah mused. "Maybe if you want to win his heart, you'll have to do something really big."

"But I'm a firefighter!" Dipper exclaimed. "What could I do that's bigger than fighting fires?"

"What about winning a contest? Or better yet, solving a mystery?" Sarah offered.

"A mystery? What kind of mystery?"

" _Any_ mystery," Sarah replied. "Maybe something gets stolen, and you gotta find out who did it. Or maybe it'll be an ontological mystery. Now I don't know what ontological means, but it might sound like a really big deal. Either way, if you manage to solve it, Dusty will be so _wowed_ by your accomplishments, he'll be eager to date you!"

Dipper perked up. "You think so?"

"Absolutely."

Overjoyed, Dipper bumped wings with Sarah. "It's a great idea, Sarah! Thanks! Now I just gotta figure out what to solve..."

* * *

 **Writing this chapter had been VERY difficult, and I'm not exactly thrilled by the final result.** **Not just because I had trouble figuring out how to start it, but also because the original version of this chapter contained many songs and little narrative for me to use for reference. The songs mentioned in this chapter were actually the same ones in the original, but since this site is 100% against "song fics" of any kind, I felt it safer to not feature the lyrics at all.**

 **I'd actually wanted to add on more, but ended up following the original chapter as closely as I could…with a little extra thrown in, and a scene or two switched around. The part where Dipper talks with her sister happens _before_ Riya met Cruz in the original version. The extra material I'll try to save for a future chapter. **

**I have tried to deal with this by writing out a proper plot on Google Docs, but I'm worried that I'll end up focusing more on the _Cars_ half of the story than the _Planes_ half. I'm trying to stick with my plan to alternate between the _Cars_ characters & the _Planes_ characters until Cruz meets Lightning and Ripslinger. **

**When I struggled with this chapter, I started working on the next one. Won't say much about what'll happen next, except that it'll have to do with Lightning struggling with his love for Sally and his developing thoughts for Jackson. A race may come about.**

 **In case some of you have forgotten, this is "Leyenar Oh's Cars N' Planes" adopted and rewritten by yours truly. The prologue and the first 2 chapters are based on what the original author had written for this (she even re-uploaded the story for me to use, sent me a summary of the story via PM, and chapter names that I could use). Unfortunately, that's all she could do for me. From this point onward, any and all ideas for this will have to come from me.**

 **The original story, as well as Radha and Sarah "Big Dipper" Levine, are owned by The Other Jet Engine.**

 **One last thing: if you're a guest who is planning to leave a review, be _sensible_ about it. I am still human, and I _cannot_ tell you enough how frustrating it is to get spammed endlessly with demands to review someone else's stories, and this has been happening frequently as of late. Unless you have something to say _about_ _the story you're currently reading_ , get lost.**


	4. How to Struggle with Life and Love

Lightning McQueen was in a sour mood during the drive home. It was one thing to have your winning streak broken by a rookie racer. But to have someone claim that you and that same rookie had _feelings_ for each other? Oh, that created a whole new level of humiliation. It didn't help that that same someone was an unofficial member of his team.

Everyone stayed silent during the journey home, mostly due to the worry that Lightning would freaking lose it if someone even mentioned the rookie by name. Ripslinger flew above and behind Mack as he drove along. Mack was the only one who got something good out of this day. He'd met and hit things off with a female truck named Gale Beaufort. Normally, everyone would've been thrilled for Mack getting a girlfriend, but their excitement died off when it turned out that Gale worked for IGNTR as Jackson Storm's hauler.

Once everyone arrived back at Radiator Springs, they gathered at Flo's to drink their fuels. Ripslinger managed to land without incident, but wasn't planning to hang with the others. In all his years as a racer, he never once felt ashamed of what he did or said. But it was mostly because either Zed and Ned or Team RPX would back him up. Now that he didn't have any of them, he couldn't go around assuming the others would forget about his "wheel-in-mouth" moment. Especially not Lightning McQueen, the one he'd inadvertently offended.

Ripslinger didn't feel up for having a chat with the red race car. Too bad he wasn't allowed to sneak off.

As soon as he landed, he felt all eyes on him. Lightning and his team stared at him with anger, annoyance or confusion. But it was Lightning who came forward to speak to him. No surprise there, really.

"Rip, what was _that_ today?" he demanded.

"You mean the whole 'telling Jackson he should marry you' thing after the race?" Ripslinger asked.

"Yes."

Obviously. As he studied Lightning's pissed off face, Ripslinger felt a twinge of nervousness inside his workings. He was never one to get nervous, but Radiator Springs was the first place that had willingly welcomed him in since his fall from grace, and if he'd made things that bad, he could get kicked out. He didn't want to risk that. But what could he say here?

"You're not okay about that, are you?" Yeah, that was pretty much it.

"No, I'm not," Lightning answered tartly. "Listen Rip, I know you've done some bad things in the past, and I know it's kinda tough for you to overcome them. Really, I can understand that. I wasn't a model car back then, either." Ripslinger stayed silent, allowing Lightning to continue.

"However, I did _not_ feel okay with what you said today. How could you assume that Storm—a car I'd _just met_ today—could _ever_ have feelings for me?"

Yeah, how could he? Ripslinger tried to think back to earlier, when he saw Lightning go up to congratulate Jackson on his win. He saw how Lightning had looked _mesmerized_ by the rookie, as though he had never seen anyone like him before. That pretty much would be the case, but then Lightning begins talking to Jackson, eagerly looking for a response from him. And finally, when Jackson had insulted him, then got everybody to start taking pictures of the two together, Lightning could've backed away and left, but he didn't.

He could've told Lightning about all that, but he didn't know how to properly word it. He just stayed quiet.

When the P-51 Mustang didn't answer, Lightning decided to put his tire down and make things known right then and there. "Okay," he began, "since you don't have an explanation, here's what I expect you to understand from now on: I love Sally, okay? I have no plans of leaving her at all. She's my girlfriend _and_ the love of my life. Someday, maybe soon, I'm going to marry her, and nobody's ever gonna come between us. _Ever_. Especially not Jackson." And with that, Lightning left, heading towards the Cozy Cone.

* * *

As he drove closer towards the Cozy Cone, Lightning began to feel a bit better about himself. He may have lost today's race and met the most inconsiderate race car ever, but he felt good about reaffirming his love for Sally by setting things straight with Ripslinger. And that was it, really. He loved Sally, not Jackson. Jackson was just some hotshot rookie with a smooth new engine and a paint job that seemed to shine in the sunlight. But Sally was practically the center of his universe. He would do _anything_ for her.

Ripslinger's comments today had not only been inappropriate, but incorrect. Besides, he wasn't gay! He remembered clearly, during his rookie season, how he always found the time to flirt with several of his female fans, notably the Miata twins Mia and Tia. Then Sally came along and he felt no desire to be with anyone but her. She'd been the one to show him that it was okay to slow down, to take life for all it was worth, that there was more to living than just winning races. If it weren't for her, Lightning wouldn't be the car he was now. She'd been with him all these years, and he knew in his heart that she was just right for him. All he had to do was take the time to propose marriage to her. He owed her that much.

Lightning found Sally in her office, doing some paperwork. He gave her a smile and a kiss on her fender. "I'm so glad to see you," he murmured. "How were you today?"

"Good," Sally answered briskly. "Went through some bills, got a call from my sister, the usual." She glanced over at him. "What about you? How was the race? Sorry, I was too busy to watch it."

Lightning flinched. "Not so great, really," he said. "It was a rough day today."

Sally suddenly looked worried. "Oh, no! What happened? Did someone crash?"

"Well..." Lightning didn't want to talk about the race, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to Sally. "Well, I guess you should hear it from me before you hear it from the press." He took a deep breath and began to relay to the Porsche the events of the race, and what happened after he'd lost to Jackson Storm. About how he decided to congratulate him on his race, what Jackson said to him, and what Ripslinger had the nerve to say.

Sally listened with fascination. "Let me see if I got this right," she said when he was done, "Rip thought you and this...Jackson guy...should be a _couple_?"

Lightning chuckled. "Yeah, isn't it crazy?" he said. "I was surprised myself. Luckily, I sorted things out with him just now." He chuckled again. "I mean, Stormy was kind of a jerk. Can you imagine him in a relationship?"

"...Stormy."

"Huh?"

"You called him _Stormy_. Isn't his name Storm?" Sally studied him with an odd look.

Oh wait, it was. Jackson _Storm_ , not Stormy. Lightning's smile disappeared when he realized his goof. He already hated the guy's guts, yet somehow had it in him to give him a cutesy nickname? Boy, today must've left him feeling more worn out than usual.

Lightning shook himself as he uttered, "Storm. Yeah, Storm." Then he looked back at her. "Don't worry, though," he said, "as soon as we got back, I talked to Rip and sorted everything out with him. It's all gonna be okay now."

Sally studied him with that same odd look, then smiled. "Okay, Stickers, I believe you," she said before kissing him back. It made Lightning feel all warm and happy inside. Yes sir, there was no doubt in his mind that Sally was the one for him.

"You wanna grab something to eat?" he offered. "We could go to Flo's. Or maybe the Wheel Well."

"Hmm...I say we should stay here tonight. I'm kinda tired from working myself. Also, I think I have something around here. I'll be right back." She left the office and came back a few minutes later with two cans of fuel.

They were just going to have a night in watching shows. Normally, Lightning felt that this would be a good thing. He could relax and forget all his troubles and be with the one car he loved. Unfortunately for him, fate had to deal him an unkind hand once again.

 _Chick's Picks with Chick Hicks_ was a new racing show hosted by Lightning's old rival, Chick Hicks. Though Lightning didn't feel particularly excited to see him still active in the racing scene, at least it was better than watching him forcing cars to crash. Besides, the show itself had become a guilty pleasure for him. Chick could provide some interesting insights into the racing world.

Sally adjusted her computer's screen as the show began.

"This just in," Chick announced, "rookie Jackson Storm just slammed the proverbial door on Lightning McQueen at today's race!" He was standing onstage with his one and only Piston Cup trophy by his side as behind him, footage of Jackson beating Lightning, as well as the latter's reaction, played on a screen behind him. "Oh, ho, I could've enjoyed it more if I'd beaten McQueen myself. Oh, wait; I _have_!" He let out a bark of laughter.

Lightning rolled his eyes. _The RSN would give a show to anybody these days,_ he thought to himself.

Chick then introduced Natalie Certain onto the stage. Natalie was a self-proclaimed statistical analyst who wanted to talk about what set Jackson apart from the other racers.

"Jackson is part of a new generation of high-tech racers, unlike the current one out there," Natalie explained coolly. "It's no mystery once you study the data, Chick. Jackson obtains his top speed by exploiting the numbers. I refer to tire distribution, down force, weight distribution, aerodynamics, et cetera, et cetera. And new 'Next Gen' racers like Storm are taking advantage. The racing world is changing."

"For the better," Chick agreed, "I mean, if my old buddy Lightning is down for the count. Am I right, Certain?"

Lightning scoffed. Even after all these years, Chick still managed to find a way to poke fun of him. Sally lightly tapped his side with her tire as a means of comforting him.

"Well, Chick, if _I'm_ certain of anything, it's that things are about to get _very_ interesting," Natalie answered with a coy smile. "You have been hearing about what happened between Storm and McQueen after today's race, didn't you?"

I mean, you _did_ hear about the incident that took place after today's race, didn't you?"

It took Chick a moment to figure out what she was referring to, and when he did, he burst out laughing. "Oh, man! That crazy plane must have his prop spinning backwards to come up with something like _that_."

Groaning in disgust, Lightning turned away from the computer. He found himself looking out the window towards the Hudson Hornet Racing Museum. It used to be Doc's medical clinic, but it'd been converted to the museum sometime between his passing and the events of the World Grand Prix. Lightning would visit Doc's old garage at the back whenever he needed to collect his thoughts and relax. Sometimes, he would watch films of Doc racing, to see what he'd been like in his younger days. _What would he think about all this?_ He thought to himself.

"This is really getting to you, isn't it?" Sally asked from behind him.

"I'm trying not to let it," Lightning replied, trying and failing to not sound sulky. "But this is so ridiculous! Someone says one little remark out loud and _everybody's_ gotta take it seriously? I mean, all I did was congratulate the guy. It's like something out of a fan fic." Lightning took a deep breath to try and calm himself. "Doc used to tell me not to let this kind of gossip get to me. When he was alive, it was easy. Now that's he's gone, it's tough. If I don't say something, people will keep talking. But if I do, people will think I'm in denial, and it might get worse."

Sally hummed as she rolled up alongside him. "Is that what you really want, Stickers? For people to try and convince you that this... _thing_ between you and Jackson is true?" When Lightning didn't answer, she continued talking. "You're the greatest racer out there right now. Somebody will do whatever it takes to try and get inside your head so that you'll be distracted and start losing. Are you really gonna waste your energy trying to convince them to believe you? Or are you gonna try to move on from this and pretend it didn't happen?"

Lightning leaned against her. "Man, I wish I could say something," he mumbled. "But I guess you make a good point, Sal. I could try forgetting this ever happened."

"There you go," Sally said brightly. "You already talked things out with Ripslinger, so I guess he won't try to ship you with Jackson again. Just focus on getting ready for your next race."

"Ship us?" Lightning glanced at her, confused. "Ship us where?"

"Oops! Sorry, Stickers." Sally covered her mouth with her tires. "I guess I remembered something from reading these crazy books my sister owned when we were teens. It's another way of saying he would pair you up in a romantic relationship with Storm."

"Yuck!" Lightning stuck out his tongue as Sally laughed before he joined in as well. As they sat side by side, Lightning could feel comfortable with telling himself yet again that his heart would _always_ belong to Sally. She would always know what to say in order to help him keep his cool during hard times. Doc used to do it, so she felt it her responsibility to take over after his passing. Jackson wouldn't be like that, Lightning was certain of it. He didn't know Lightning like Sally did, and probably never would. In that moment, Lightning swore to himself that he would never let Stormy come between him and Sally.

...He called him Stormy again, didn't he?

Boy, he _really_ needed to propose to Sally soon.

* * *

A few days passed before it was time for Lightning's next race. The red race car took Sally's advice to heart and focused on training for it as much as possible. Yet despite all the training managing to preoccupy his thoughts, Lightning wasn't feeling fully up to it. The same could also be said for his team and Ripslinger.

Although Lightning had gotten over the incident with him and Jackson Storm by then, the red race car didn't feel as comfortable around Rip as before. In fact, he'd planned to make the Green Tornado stay behind in Radiator Springs for this race. It only took Mater's begging and Sally making the Green Tornado promise to not stir up trouble to make Lightning relent.

Lightning was determined to keep a level head for this race. He was going to take Sally's advice and prove to everybody that he was not deterred by the encounter. He was not going to suffer another defeat at Jackson's tires. Nor was he going to let a certain plane talk crazy about his "relationship" with his new rival.

As soon as he was ready, Lightning set out onto the track to warm up before the race began. The good news was that vehicles weren't talking about the incident at the Copper Canyon Speedway as much as he thought they would. However, that was only because Jackson's skills as a racer were impressing everyone. So much so that six more "Next Gen" racers had been brought out onto the scene, and were making their debut at this race. All six looked alike, except with different paint jobs. They joined Lightning and the other racers in warming up on the track.

Lightning soon found himself driving alongside Jackson. He tried to ignore him, but it didn't last long.

"Mornin', champ!" Jackson greeted him with a grin. "How's our living legend today?"

The #95 race car frowned. "Still very much alive, thank you," he replied irritably, "and I'd appreciate it if—"

"You know," Jackson cut in, clearly not caring for Lightning's answer, "I can't believe I get to race _the_ Lightning McQueen. In his farewell season, no less!"

Lightning did a double take. _Farewell season?_ "What're you talking about?" He glanced over at Jackson, whose eyes were watching him with something resembling amusement.

Jackson looked as though he were going to answer, but then he caught sight of the flagger car waving the starting flag. "Whoops! Green's flag's out!" he exclaimed. "Good luck out there, champ! You're gonna need it." Scowling, Lightning revved up his engine and sped after him. He tried to pass him, but Jackson managed to overtake him without hassle. Lightning became surprised by the younger racer's abilities.

In the end, it didn't matter how Lightning did, or how quickly Guido changed his tires, or even how Ripslinger watched everything silently and passively. Despite giving it his all, he came in third while Jackson, once again, came in first.

As Lightning, his team, and Ripslinger made their way towards the lot where Mack would be parked, he tried his hardest to not think about his loss or Jackson's win. But it was hard, especially when he remembered Jackson making mention of a "farewell season" for him. Did Stormy really think Lightning would be _retiring_ after this season?

Ripslinger, who was bringing up the rear, could only watch as Lightning struggled internally with the aftermath of today's race. Even Mater couldn't shake his friend out of it. In fact, the red racer barely took notice of his surroundings; he didn't even notice the two IGNTR forklifts passing by, but Rip sure did. The two forklifts were talking quietly to each other, sneaking a quick glance at Lightning as they passed him. Ripslinger watched them with interest, perking up with fascination when he caught a whisper of how "we did this for him." Whatever that meant.

They all arrived at Mack's trailer, but there was no Mack in sight. What they found instead was an envelope taped to the door of the trailer that Mack hauled. The envelope was light blue and had Lightning's name written on it in black ink. Everyone exchanged looks with one another. Even Ripslinger was surprised by it. Who could've sent it?

"Maybe it's from Sally," Mater suggested, "probably to get ya to cheer up after meetin' that Storm feller."

"It can't be her, Mater. That's not her handwriting," Lightning stated, frowning. He'd known Sally's penmanship for years, and whoever wrote his name actually had better calligraphy than her. Who else could it have been, though? A fan? A friend? Or a rival?

He reached out and took the envelope off the door. Tearing it open while under the fascinated gaze of his team and Ripslinger, Lightning pulled out a folded piece of light blue stationery paper. He unfolded it and studied the message written upon it:

 _Dear McQueen,_

 _I cannot begin to imagine what you must have been thinking at that race a few days ago. You're one of the greatest racers in the history of FOREVER; of course, you didn't deserve to be humiliated like that. I should've said something. Heck, I should've DONE something. But I didn't, and I feel terrible for it._

 _I want to tell you everything I feel about you. I wanted to shout it from the winner's circle, or just get you to take a drive with me so we could talk, but everything's getting crazy now. Everyone I know knows how I feel about you, and they're telling me not to say anything to you outside the racing circuit—my crew chief, my hauler, even my BOSS said she'll rear-end me if I try!_

 _This is the only way I can really reach out to you right now. I'm not the kind of car who can write ooey-gooey love letters, so I'll try to be honest and to the point. You're the real reason I went into racing. Every time I saw you racing, I felt like I was going to sprout wings and fly. Racing you that day was the biggest thrill I ever got, and I wish I'd told you that. I ought to write down more, but I'm worried I'll give myself away._

 _I hope there will someday be a way for me to reveal myself to you. And I hope you won't get too upset when you find out WHO I am._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Your Secret Admirer_

Lightning's oil was bubbling as he reached the end. A secret admirer. He had a secret admirer. He had a secret admirer despite the fact that he'd been romantically involved with Sally for years. Whoever wrote this either didn't know about his commitment to her…or didn't care. It made him feel giddy with nervousness and excitement.

"Who's it from, buddy?" Mater asked.

"I don't know," Lightning breathed. "But whoever it is, it's not Sally."

" _Allora chi l'ha scritto?_ " asked Guido.

"Again, I don't know." Lightning passed the letter over to Guido, who gestured for Luigi to read it for him. Everyone save for Lightning gathered in close in order to hear it, and everyone had a different reaction. Mater looked surprised. Guido's jaw and forklifts hit the ground. Fillmore and Sarge exchanged unsure glances, and Ramone muttered something in Spanish. Luigi was looking pretty shaken when he was done reading. Ripslinger, meanwhile, listened with wide-eyed fascination.

"This does not-a make sense!" the Fiat 500 exclaimed. "Sally is the one that loves you, Lightning. You do not-a need a secret admirer."

"Maybe it's a platonic type of love," Fillmore suggested calmly. "Or even altruistic."

"It's a trick," Sarge declared crossly. "Someone's trying to mess with you."

Ripslinger listened to everyone voice their opinion, but did not put in his two cents. So, it looked like someone besides Sally had romantic feelings for Lightning. But who could it be? Lightning's new secret admirer mentioned racing and having a crew chief, so he or she must be a race car, so it narrowed down the potential candidates greatly. Sarge could be right about someone messing around with him. If it was supposed to be part of a harmless practical joke, then the letter was from either Bobby or Cal. But if it was meant to be malicious, it could've been from one of the Next Gen racers out there.

 _Wait a minute,_ Ripslinger suddenly thought. A _blue_ envelope with _black_ ink…the IGNTR forklifts that'd passed them…knowing about the incident that had taken place a few days ago, the same one Rip had cause…

Ripslinger now had an idea as to who Lightning's secret admirer was. And he didn't know whether to be excited or freaked out.

"Rip, I want you to take the letter," Lightning ordered in a firm voice, jolting him out of his thoughts.

The Green Tornado jerked his head towards Lightning. "What? Why?"

"Because…" Lightning hesitated. He considered telling him _because I don't know how Sally will react to seeing this_. Instead, he answered with, "Because this is how you can redeem yourself. Just take the letter and hold onto it. Don't do anything else with it until I say otherwise. Got it?"

"Fine." Ripslinger plucked the letter from Luigi's tires with his teeth.

Lightning looked satisfied.

* * *

Later, when they all got home, the P-51 Mustang stashed the letter before joining everyone else at Flo's. Nothing was said about the secret admirer, the letter, or even the race. Everyone was carrying on as though it never happened. Fillmore and Sarge bickered with each other over what fuel Lightning should have for his next race. Luigi and Guido were discussing plans to promote a sale at their tire shop in order to make up for being so busy at Lightning's races this season. Then there was Mack, who still hadn't seen the letter. He was chatting it up with Ramone and Mater about Gale Beaufort. He wanted her to come visit Radiator Springs soon.

As for Lightning, he and Sally settled together as they had their fuel. Ripslinger watched them silently. He noticed how comfortable the red race car looked with his girlfriend, and how he listened intently to her as she waxed poetic about her day. It made the plane feel a bit envious. In all the years he raced, Ripslinger never had any romantic partners. No one ever caught his eye.

Once they had their fill, Sally and Lightning headed off to her office. It looked as though Lightning banished any and all thoughts about his secret admirer and the letter he had found. He was going to try and get on with his life; Ripslinger was certain of it.

But then in the middle of the night, Ripslinger was awoken by the door of his cone opening. "Psst. Hey, Rip. You there?" a voice whispered. It was Lightning.

Ripslinger scowled at the racer. "What do you want?" he grumbled.

"I want to see the letter again." Lightning looked serious. Puzzled, Rip pulled it out from its hiding place—under his mattress—and gave it to him.

Lightning read and re-read the letter, frowning. Ripslinger stayed silent, wondering what could compel him to want to see the letter again. After a long moment, Lightning looked up.

"You really think it's _him_ , don't you?" he asked.

Ripslinger frowned. "Who wants to know?" he demanded, trying and failing to not sound suspicious.

" _I_ do." Lightning looked serious. "You were the one that started this whole craziness. So, I wanna know if you think _he_ wrote this."

"You mean Jackson Storm?"

"Yeah."

Ripslinger thought for a moment. "Well...probably," he said at last.

"Why?"

The last time Ripslinger had been subjected to an interrogation was when the WATG officials found out about what he tried to do to Crophopper. It had been the most difficult and humiliating event he'd ever endured; the punishments inflicted on him once they had their information paled in comparison. He swore he would never put himself through anything like that again, but here he was, forced to play "Twenty Questions" with Lightning over a possible crush.

With a groan, Rip forced himself to satisfy Lightning's demands. "Well, if you really want to know," he began, "one reason I think Storm's your admirer is because he mentioned…that incident. Like, he sounded like he was right there when it…y'know, happened. This also brings to mind that in your letter, he mentions racing and having a crew and crew chief, so he _has_ to be a racer, too."

"Okay," Lightning said, not really convinced.

"Another reason is one you probably didn't see." Rip closed his eyes for a moment. "I saw a couple of IGNTR forklifts running around the parking lot at the race track. I'll bet if Storm wrote the letter, he might've made them deliver it to you."

No answer from Lightning, but he was listening intently. Rip chose to keep going. "Also, the envelope your letter came in was blue _._ It could be from the team your admirer races for."

"Dinoco's color is blue," Lightning pointed out. "In fact, their main color is called Dinoco blue. Maybe Cal's playing a joke. Also, Dinoco's not the only team that sports blue. There's RPM, Mood Springs, Blinkr—"

"Even IGNTR," Ripslinger interrupted. Lightning looked irritated, but the plane ignored him. "Their colors are blue and _black_. Black, McQueen. Whoever wrote the letter wrote it with black ink."

"So? Everything's written in black a lot of times."

"You also said the handwriting wasn't Sally's. Do you even know what Jackson's looks like?"

"Do you? Wait, on second thought, don't tell me. I really, _really_ don't wanna know _that_ part." Lightning's gaze went back down to the letter. After a strangely long moment, he handed it back to the plane. "Here. Just keep holding onto it."

"Why? What're you gonna do?" Rip asked. He tried to sound annoyed, but he was beginning to grow curious about.

"Mater knows somebody who can take a look at that," Lightning explained, a knowing smile forming on his lips. "I don't when he'll come here, but when he does, he'll be sure to figure out if this 'love letter' is a joke or not. Until then, though, I'm just gonna have to deal with Stormy on my own."

Ripslinger couldn't decide whether he should ask more about this acquaintance of Mater's or about why he'd just referred to his rival as Stormy. Instead, he asked, "How will you do that?"

Lightning smiled coyly. "I'm gonna challenge him to a little race."

* * *

 **Honestly, the chapter was gonna be A LOT longer than what you see now, but I decided to take the risk and edit it around so that IGNTR meeting up with Lightning and Rip and co. in Radiator Springs will happen in a later chapter. I almost didn't do it, either!**

 **Next chapter will be with Cruz Piston Peak.**

 **I'm also thinking about starting up a forum for the Planes movies here on FF. Do you guys want that? Cuz I'll only do it if people say "yes!"**

 **Oh, and here's what Guido said:**

 _Allora chi l'ha scritto?_ \- Then who wrote it?


End file.
